The Sweetest of Sins: Half Life
by Blood.Drop.Lolita
Summary: full summary inside:: true love lies behind enemy lines, in this case rivaling families. A certain Weasley discovers a shocking bit of information, as does a certain Malfoy. Just stick with it. DracoxRon rated for...
1. Chapter 1

Izzy:: Ah. Yes, a new Harry Potter fic. Personally, I hate _DracoxHarry_. There. I said it. I think it's overrated, overplayed, and overdone. But, that's just me. So, one night several months ago I thought of this pairing because it just fit. So, who knows. Maybe I'll create a gaggle of _DxR_ fans. Ha-ha, one can only hope. Apologies to Fault Line fans, that story has been put on hold because I just don't know where to go with it at the moment, _but it will resume updates. I have not given up on it._

Disclaimer:: I don't own Harry Potter, though I wish I owned Severus 3

Summery:: true love lies behind enemy lines, in this case rivaling families. A certain Weasley discovers a shocking bit of information, as does a certain Malfoy. What price are they willing to pay? (Just stick with it. DracoxRon.) Rated for language, violence (of course), mild to severe bashing, cutting, possibly attempt at suicide (maybe a character death), alcohol, sexual themes, perhaps a lime or two, abuse, who knows maybe I'll even throw an mpreg in there… (even though I hate that, too.) You help me decide?

_The Sweetest of Sins: Half Life_

.Blood.Drop.Lolita.

Chapter One

And just like that the summer had flown by. He was no longer a child, meaning he could get away with less and less. You would think that his mum would stop glaring over his shoulder like a hawk once he had sprouted out of childhood, but actually she had become even _more _hawk-like. She kept track of everything he did; he couldn't even send letters to his friends anymore out of fear his mother would read them and find something disapproving. Of course, he always remembered that she only smothered him because she loved him and did not want anything happening to him that she could possibly prevent.

She had to act like the mother and father around the house most of the time, what with their father being off at the Ministry twice as often lately. He had to work even more hours that usual, yet he rarely received over-time. No, he did not seem to worry about the pay. There were even more Muggle killings, even with the absence of the Dark Lord. Sirius Black was not a possible suspect, at least to him, because he had been explained the whole situation by Harry.

The dramatic slaughter of the non-magical folk was making even the pure-bloods a tad nervous. How long would it be until the killings were no longer limited to just Muggles? Fear was not limited just to purebloods; Deatheaters shared the fear as well, for they knew it was not their master's work.

But nothing was known about the killing other than they were done by some truly whacked-out person. Skinning his victims alive, it was obviously done by a wizard, though, because of the way the flesh had been cut. Not one ounce of muscle was attached to the flesh. Only magic could make a cut that clean. And there were to impalement marks upon the body.

Truly puzzling.

And back to the family.

School started back up for all the young witches and wizards in approximately one week. Give them all a little time to get started on their shopping lists and fight through the mobs of people trying to snag the last good cauldron before they were stuck with last years leftovers.

Of course they always stuck around for leftovers. They were far cheaper and lasted just about as long.

His mother was watching over him again. Scanning him and observing with her lips pursed as he picked up a needed book for Potions, his least favourite class, and flipped through its pages. He groaned inwardly as the complex and difficult to follow recipes. Why couldn't they ever make anything fun or edible? Potions was no different than a cooking class to him. It was unneeded and took up time from real wizarding activities. Like _Quiddich_.

"I think this covers the list, mum." He dropped the thick book into the bag that was full to bursting with the other children's books.

"Those extra hours your father has been working has brought in quite a bit of extra money. And just at the right time, too." His mother added. He again pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side.

"…what?" It made him uncomfortable to be stared at like a field mouse.

"I was just thinking, is all? Perhaps we should get you fitted for some new robes. The ones you had last year won't stand up to another one of your growth spurts."

"No, mum, that's fine. I'm all set." He really hated getting fitted for robes, even more so with his mother standing over him and critiquing the tailor. She just wanted things to be perfect though, so he didn't get upset with her.

"Well, c'mon then Ronald. Let's go fine Ginny and your brothers." Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes, "I told them to stay right here, and what do they do? Just rush off to God knows where. I swear. Ronald--"

She turned around to find that Ron had disappeared as well.

"Well. Just another thing to add to my list."

Mrs. Weasley was tempted to use the _Accio_ spell to retrieve her children, but seeing a lovely little book-signing from one of her favourite authors distracted her. Even since Gildroy's breakdown she had had to find a new author to swoon over. She didn't even know the man's name, but Merlin's beard she fancied him.

She had to watch her tongue when a rather fat woman wearing a dress about three sizes too small for her knocked into her. The bag of books she was carting around nearly fell onto the puddle-filled cobble-stone street. She was a lady, so she turned on her harshest glare and the fat lady wobbled away. Mrs. Weasley made a noise of satisfaction and grinned as she stepped into the book store to meet her favourite author in person.

-

It was nice that the rain had stopped, though it left a blanket of gloom hanging over Diagon Alley. Ron didn't much care for the gloom, nor did her care for the sun. He didn't care for much of anything if it had to do with the weather. That's why his favourite season was spring, because not much happened then. But he had to be stuck in the autumn for now. Boring, dry, and occasionally rainy autumn. He had heard from George that this one was supposed to be particularly rainy, mainly because they had such a dry summer.

He stopped and screwed up his face.

"…what am I thinking about the _weather_?"

"Hey, Ron!" Came a voice several feet behind him, but it rang clear over the drone of the crowds. Ron turned around and grinned at his friend.

"Hiya, Harry. You get your shopping done?"

"Yeah. Lost track of your mum, though." Harry panted slightly from the jog.

"She's easy to lose. 'Course in a crowd like this, who isn't easy to lose?" Ron chuckled. He felt better now that he had someone to talk to. It was much better than talking to yourself about the weather… actually it was just better than talking to yourself at all.

"You seen Hermione around here anywhere? She ran off somewhere with Ginny."

"Ah, well then good luck finding them, eh? Probably went off to boy-watch or something."

"Probably." Harry agreed and smirked.

"Hungry?" Ron was implying that he, himself, was hungry. Harry shrugged.

"Sure. I could go for something."

"Excellent. I'm starving. Haven't had anything to eat all morning."

"If you actually got out of bed on time, then you might have gotten to eat breakfast. Which was lovely, by the way." Harry teased.

Ron blew some air out his nose and glanced at Harry. Basically telling him to can it. Harry chuckled a bit.

They navigated the streets of Diagon Alley quite well, since they had been coming here for about six years now, they had learned all the ins and outs of this place, how to dodge the crowds, and (on occasion) how to swipe a pasty from one of the many carts hauling sweets around without getting caught. This trick, however, took getting caught a few times to work all the kinks out of it.

Today, however, they weren't going for pasties or chocolate frogs, not even ice mice (which Harry wasn't that fond of to begin with). They were going for a Muggle treat that Ron's father had actually introduced the wizarding world to several years ago.

It was an oddly sweet treat, and Arthur had applauded the Muggles for being able to create such a delicious oddity. Because who ever thought of freezing cow's milk was absolutely batty, but in a good way.

Ice cream had become Ron's favourite sweet, besides chocolate frogs and gummy snakes.

_Belkin zur Bons _was the only ice cream business in the wizarding world, and it was only located in Diagon Alley. It brought business to the once-forgotten small stores around it, so it served a purpose rather than just to appease itself.

Despite its popularity, the store was rather humble. The owner saw no reason for him to waste money improving an already perfect store. Most of the wizards and witches who visited there enjoyed the simplicity of everything. It was sort of like a break from the bustling world around them.

"What flavour you want, Harry?"

"I'm not sure. I don't normally eat ice cream, so I don't really know what to get."

"Then I'll make a suggestion. Go with _strawburry. _It's good."

Harry shrugged.

"Sure, whatever you think is best.'

Ron grinned and ordered two cones filled with soft strawberry ice cream. Ron handed Harry his cone and, upon tasting, had to agree that strawberry was indeed very good. It tasted better than what he had treated to in the Muggle world. Everything here seemed better to him.

Ron pointed out a small table for them to sit at, and after a long morning of walking around from store to store it felt nice to sit down for a bit.

"Ahh… appreciate the small things in life." Ron grinned and took a bite out of his ice cream scoop. There was a smudge of pink on his nose.

"Erm, Ron you have a little…" Harry pointed to his nose and Ron rubbed his own, but somehow managed to smudge his face further with the pink goo.

"Is it gone?"

"Um…" Harry hesitated and scratched his cheek, "you still have…"

Ron sighed and, again, managed to smudge the other side of his face after cleaning up one.

"Now?"

"Uh-- yeah you got it." Harry grinned and shook his head. It was hopeless.

"Well isn't this sweet? Enjoying your date, Potter?"

Harry knew that voice all too well. It made the milk in his stomach curdle.

"What's the matter, Malfoy, you jealous?" Harry said sarcastically and stared him down.

The corner of Draco's mouth curled up into a sneer.

"I would rather hang myself."

"No one's stopping you." Ron piped up. Draco shifted his glare to Ron, but it screwed up into a frown. He snorted at the streak of pink that ran from Ron's mouth and stopped halfway across his cheek. For once, Harry understood what he found humourous about Ron, but only because he found it humourous himself.

"I suppose bad table manners run in a family of weasels." Draco said curtly and turned his attention back to Harry. Draco could feel Ron's glare on the side of his head. Harry sighed.

"Are you stalking us just so you can throw a few cliché insults our way?"

Draco glowered.

"Why would I stalk you? I'm afraid to know what you two do when out of sight, let alone under that ruddy cloak you carry around everywhere."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He resembled a flounder. Draco smirked, completely satisfied that he had left Potter speechless.

"As if your one to talk, Malfoy." Ron took a moment to swallow his mouthful of ice cream, "You go off places with those two idiots. Lord knows what you three do."

Now it was Draco's turn to be speechless. He threw his best glare at Ron and scoffed before turning on his heel to leave.

"Just hit him with his own ammunition." Ron said in self-satisfaction and leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs.

-

Draco was pissed. Completely and utterly pissed. How dare Weasley talk to him like that. He glanced in the direction of Harry and Ron's table. He hated how his mind stumbled its way to the gutter while he observed Ron thoroughly licking his ice cream.

"_Stupid fucking hormones." _he mumbled to himself and swirled the coffee he was holding. He decided to gaze into the deep blackness of it, hoping it would swallow him in its scalding obsidian waters. It humiliated him to even allow a thought like that to cross his mind, more so because it was about Weasley. It had been happening a lot lately. It frustrated him and he lashed out at everyone more, though he made the mistake of lashing out to his father. Once you have a taste of that pewter cane, you never want to say anything to him again.

_I need a girlfriend. _He thought to himself and sighed inwardly as he imagined himself drowning in the boiling black water that was his coffee.

-

"Sometimes he just really gets to me." Harry said flatly. He offered Ron the rest of his ice cream. He had a sudden curb in his appetite. Ron accepted it happily, since he had just finished his.

"Eh. I suppose I've just gotten used to it." Ron pointed his ice cream cone at Harry, "I've had to deal with him and his father even before Hogwarts."

"I guess you would almost _have_ to build up a tolerance."

"Yuh." Ron said simply and took a bite from the cone.

"Don't see how you do it."

"What? Deal with Malfoy?"

"Well, yes, that too. I can't bite ice cream. It hurts my teeth."

"Oh." Ron chuckled, "Can't help you there. Yet another Weasley trait!"

"Smartarse." Harry smirked.

"What?" Ron said innocently, with a not so innocent grin.

Harry just shook his head.

"You should probably use your amazing vacuum abilities and eat that quickly. We should go find your mum so she doesn't send the ministry looking for us again."

Ron rolled his eyes,

"Oh, don't even remind me about that.'

He finished off the cone and within ten minutes they were back in the busy section of Diagon Alley. It didn't take them long to find Mrs. Weasley, who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"She got a book signed." Ron said flatly.

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

Ron gave him the 'duh' look.

"It's all she's going to talk about."

"Oh… Oooohh." Harry said catching on, and once he did he finished off with a discontented, "_Oh_."

"Yuh."

"It won't be that bad."

Ron continued to look at him and cocked an eyebrow. After a moment Harry buckled.

"Okay, so it might be that bad. Humour her."

"I don't really have a choice."

Mrs. Weasley was just as jubilant as ever, holding a book against her chest and bouncing slightly while she talked.

"Such luck today! I was the one hundredth visitor! I got a free book, and Gregor Liebermann, that's his name apparently, signed it for me and he's so nice. And handsome…"

"Mum, you're married, what would dad think?" Fred laughed as he teased his mother. She tapped him on the shoulder with her new book and pursed her lips, still in a smile.

"Let a girl dream. Don't you dare." She pointed a threatening finger at George, who was, upon interruption, going to make a smartass comment about his mother being far past girlhood. He just grinned and shut his mouth.

He would save that joke for a later date.

"Okay. Is everyone here…?" She mumbled the childrens' names as she checked to see that they were all there.

"Ah. Very good then. We should be getting back to the Burrow; your father is due to get off work early today. That's a nice change of pace."

"Too bad it's not your German bon-bon." Fred whispered and Mrs. Weasley smacked him lightly on the head.

"Oh, shut-up." She said after doing so.

Ron raised his eyebrows. He would have been sure his mother would have gone on about the book signing more than she had. Of course, they weren't home yet.

They entered the Leaky Cauldron and made their way around the laughing and smashed wizards and crowded tables over to the large fire place so they could _floo_ home.

Harry had developed a habit over over-pronouncing each syllable since his first run in with the powder and ending up in Nocturne Alley. He sounded like an idiot, yes, but he always ended up where it was he wanted to go.

After Harry, Hermione, and the twins had floo'd back to the Weasley home, it was Ron's turn. He stepped into the fire place with a handful of the ash-like powder and against his better judgment looked up and caught a glimpse of a certain blonde being smacked hard in the back of the head. You could tell the impact was rough because it sent his shaggy platinum hair splaying. The aggressor, obviously the boy's father, gave an apologetic look at who ever it was he was talking with.

"Ron dear, are you alright? You look upset." His mother said in a low, but concerned voice.

He blew some air out his nose.

"Yeah mum. I'm fine. Zoned out there for a moment."

He gave his destination and threw the powder on the ground and disappeared in a flash of emerald flames.

-

Back at the Burrow Ron felt angry for some reason. Sure, he had thought of knocking Draco's head off his shoulders before. He had thought of mangling him and leaving him to die, so it confused him why he felt angry for seeing Draco get hit like that. It also nagged at him that he couldn't see the face of whoever it was Lucius had been talking to. They had kept theirself hidden in a cloak. Ron didn't suspect Voldomort, because Harry didn't have a freak out. He had an awkward feeling about them, though.

Harry and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron.

"You seem down." Harry said.

"No. Just tired." Ron lied convincingly.

"You've been out of it since we arrived at the Burrow." Hermione pointed out.

"Eh."

"We just worry about you."

Ron felt a bit irritated.

"You sound like my mother."

Harry chuckled and made an impression of Mrs. Weasley in one of her swooning moods. It made Hermione giggle and even perked Ron up a little bit.

"Can you believe after this year, we only have one more year at Hogwarts?" Hermione said quietly. Harry nodded weakly and Ron shrugged.

"Just the sooner I can get out of potions class."

"Be serious Ron." Hermione glanced at him.

"I am serious. I hate potions. The sooner I can get away from Snape and his bubbling concoctions, the better!"

"I second that." Harry joined in.

Hermione sighed,

"You two, honestly."

The mood lifted considerably. Fred and George were teasing their mother about her "German bon bon", so that obviously earned a lot of laughs. Mr. Weasley came home. He seemed to appreciate the laughter. He looked older and more weathered every time he came home. It made a few members of the family wonder exactly how serious this murder case was.

Even though everything was jubilant, Ron wanted nothing more than to be alone right now. He had felt like that a lot lately. That and he felt like he didn't fit in, even amongst his friends.

And he couldn't get his thoughts away from the blonde Slytherin. It sickened him until he couldn't take it anymore and he actually excused himself and went to the lavatory to vomit.

His mother thought he might be coming down with something.

"And so close to school starting." She felt her son's forehead.

"You don't have a fever. Maybe you should rest for a while, dear. I'll bring you up some supper later, hmm?"

She smiled at him and kissed his forehead.

Ron trudged upstairs and slithered into bed. His face felt frozen, not frozen as I cold, but as in he couldn't get it to move from the melancholy expression it had adorned. He burrowed down deeper into the knitted covers and closed his eyes. It felt late for 6PM.

End chapter one

-

Izzy:: I hope you like it so far. Sorry about the lag there towards the end. I got a bit distracted. Please review; they make chapters come faster and make me happy. So, just leave your thoughts, comments, and/or suggestions in the review box. Yes, I will answer questions and will take all suggestions into consideration. Hopefully this one will flow smoother than _Fault Line_, which (my first advertisement) if you are a Severus fan I suggest you check out while you wait for chapter two to this story. Thanks again for reading and uber thanks if you review/subscribe.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It was a rough night. Ron had not been able to get past the dozing stage.  
A few times he d thought he was dreaming, but it turned out to be his overactive imagination plaguing him again.

Thoughts of school, thoughts of his friends, family (especially his father), teachers, and everything else one thinks about at four in the morning when unable to sleep. He laid there another half an hour, then finally rolled out of bed, taking the sheets and blankets with him, and trudged over to the washroom. He stripped himself of his clothing and threw them into the pile of blankets that had not given up on and fallen off during the journey to the bathroom.

He approached the bath and turned the handles this way and that until the water was the right temperature for him (he liked it more towards the tepid side) and then flicked the switch for the water to go upward into the shower nozzle. His father, being obsessed with muggles, had thought it would be fun and new to undo several of the charms placed upon the household appliances, baths included.

He then stepped into the bath and, out of habit, waited for the curtain to pull itself back and hide his shame. But of course, it did not. After a moment, he grumbled to himself and yanked it forward. Ron sighed and turned his face up into the stream of water. It felt good, soothed his aching body, and squelched the nausea that we all feel after a very poor night s sleep. He stayed in the shower longer than he usually did, mainly to just feel the water against his pallid skin. He stepped out of the shower, making sure to pull back the curtain on his own. His feet squished against the cold floor, and he knew he would have to clean up the water puddles or his mother would have a fit.

Ron, being half dead from the night before, had forgotten to gather up some clothing to bring with him to the bathroom. Considering how early it was, he would not imagine Harry or any one else would be up, so he had nothing to fear about someone seeing him in only a towel, and seeing as he did not have his wand handy he would be unable to summon for him. So he tied the thick towel around his waist and kicked the blankets out of the way.

He left the bathroom, and was thankful he did not take a warm shower, for the temperature outside the bathroom was enough to instantly provoke goose bumps over his skin. They quickly engulfed all exposed flesh. Ron crossed the distance to his dresser and gathered up some clothing, then dressed quickly, stumbling over his pants a few times and actually falling flat on his face once. He rubbed his red forehead as he turned to go back into the bathroom, but a noise stopped him and immediately claimed his full attention. He whipped his head right, to stare out the window and to try to locate the noise. Something was drawing him outside, and before he knew it, he had somehow carried himself out the front door. It was still rather dark out; the stars had not even vanished to shed their beauty elsewhere.

The sky was velvet black that had a faint hue of blue about it. Everything outside was dead silent, and even the crickets and other creatures of the night had fallen silent. The only sound to be heard was his rapid, unsteady breathing. Had he been running? Why could he not remember what he had done the moment before?

Ah, yes the after effects of insomnia.

He looked back and saw the tiny silhouette of his home against the night sky. How far had he run? By the burning in his lungs, followed by violent coughing, apparently much further than he should have, especially in this state. After the loud coughing subsided, a hush fell over the area once again. There was that noise again, to his left his time. The cowardice in him told him to hightail it back to the Burrow, but the Weasley in him told him to push onward and investigate. And so he did. He followed the direction of the noise, the sky seeming to grow darker the further he wandered away from the safety of the Burrow, the security net that was his family.

The noise also grew increasingly louder. A noise he could not quite place under any specific category. Perhaps best compared to the faint beat of a beetle s wing, but even that did not fully describe this most peculiar sound. At first, he thought there to be a rhythm, but as he approached closer, he discovered he was wrong.

What is it? It s driving me up a bloody wall not knowing Ron thought to himself. He soon began to grow rather impatient, another common trait in the Weasley family. He was now clambering up a hill, his calves burning and screaming at him to stop and rest. The hike seemed endless and when he finally neared where the sound grew the loudest, it stopped.

Pure silence followed.

Then he could faintly hear something right below him. Ron, still gasping for air from exerting his body, looked down at his feet, and what he saw made his heart all but stop. The air suddenly grew colder around him, and a deafening buzz of various, crudely strewn together noises filled his ears and echoed throughout his head. He covered his ears with his hands, eyes still fixed to the sight below him. The noise he heard was not the gentle beating of a beetle s wing; it was not what he thought it to be at all. It was a person, gasping for air through a puddle of blood as they lay upon their back, dying. He could not see their face, for it was covered in the looming shadows of the night. There were suddenly others around him, their faces undistinguishable in the dark, and their voices mingling with the buzz Ron was so desperately try to shield himself.

One of them clasped a hand on his shoulder and shook him violently. Ron lowered his hands from his head and reached for his wand, but of course, it was not there. Nothing was ever there when it was needed. He looked up to peer into the face of his demise as a flash of green light filled his own, wide eyes.

And then nothing

Ron Ron! Ron, wake up! You re having a fit! Ron!

Ron gasped and opened his eyes. He was drenched in sweat, his clothing clinging to him and his red hair matted against his forehead. He muttered something panicked and looked around the room. He was in his own room, his own bed He shook violently, even though he was starting to relax.

It was a dream a dream so real it was cruel. He could not ignore the squirming in his stomach now. Ron looked up to see Harry and Hermione standing over him.

Ron, are you alright? You look horrible Hermione said worriedly. Ron stared at them both a moment before closing his eyes again. He sighed as his tense body melted into the soft bed.

Bad dream don t worry about it, alright? Ron said in a detached tone.

What was it about, Ron? You were thrashing in your sleep and you looked well, like Hermione said, you look horrible and you re really pale. Harry said, being experienced in bad dreams, he worried about what Ron may have seen. Naturally, he worried it involved Voldomort.

Oi, I said don t worry about it. Ron half smiled and sat up, his body aching for him to lie back down and become engulfed in the comforting warmth of the sheets. He ignored his body s pleas and slowly got out of bed, what time is it?

It s almost eleven you slept through the entire night. Your mother brought you some dinner in case you woke up Hermione smiled faintly, in her good natured, gentle manner, then added with an underlying chuckle, I would imagine it s cold by now. Ron could tell they were both worried, Really guys, I m fine. Probably got some bad milk in the ice cream or somethin . You know what bad food does to your mind when you re trying to sleep.

Mrs. Weasley s voice came from downstairs, alerting everyone that lunch was ready.

Ron told Hermione and Harry to go on ahead and that he would be down in a minute. After they left, he looked as though all the wind had been knocked out of him. Something about that dream was not the common result of food poisoning. Something something about it lingered with him and made him feel uneasy He just couldn t quite place it

He quickly collected himself and made his way downstairs, hoping to whatever god was listening, that neither Harry nor Hermione had told his mother about his thrashing.

End chapter two.

-

(A/N: I know it was short and probably NOT what you were hoping for, but I m just starting to get my muse back. This chapter was important, not just a random filler. Well I hope it was liked. Any reviews, comments, or questions will be greatly appreciated. And thanks to all of you who subscribed! Expect an update soon. Oh, and sorry if there s errors. I kinda finished around 2 am )


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